Dear Ugly Sisters and other poems by Laura Mucha Illustrated by Tania Rex Otter-Barry ISBN 9781913074791 £7.99
An original, creative anthology of poems that will be ideal in the classroom. The poems cover a range of topics, and are enhanced by Tania Rex’s illustrations. Dear Ugly Sisters is a reflection by Cinderella, and Three Bears vs Goldilocks provides Goldilock’s perspective on events. Bulletproof helps us imagine what it is like to be a robot. Dear Key Workers is a heartfelt poem written in collaboration with children round the world during the coronavirus pandemic. The Lonely Side of the Moon is a thought-provoking piece about Michael Collins, an astronaut in the Apollo 11 mission. The puns in Ash’s Birchday are fun. I enjoyed Fleming’s Petri Dish, First Day at School which gives Prince George’s perspective as he prepares to face the press photographers and Collage where the writer’s artistic creation is not appreciated by Dad. The poems are in a wide range of genres, including shape poems, acrostic, haiku and rap. Most read well aloud and would be useful for performance poetry, and many could stimulate children to write their own pieces. Highly recommended for KS2.
Brenda Marshall
